The 2023 International Six Days of Enduro in Argentina will welcome teams from 28 nations and five continents including strong USA World Trophy line-up of desert rats but potentail challengers Australia duck out of this year’s contest in San Juan.

Aussie, Aussie, err, no Aussies? With the 2023 registration process closing today, August 31, the number of pre-registered riders for the 97th edition of the ISDE stands at a healthy over the 450 mark.

The total count for nations entering the 2023 International Six Days Enduro in Argentina so far is 28 with a World Trophy team of desert rats from the USA standing as provisional pre-event favourites.

But arguably their strongest rivals in the South American tests, which normally differ from the European timed specials seen at the most recent ISDEs in Italy and France, Team Australia, will not be present after their federation has not presented either a World, Junior or Women’s teams.

The FIM have announced entries from 12 Latin American countries making up a large proportion of the participants, as you’d expect, with Argentinean riders making up 38 per cent of the pre-registrations so far – a figure that is much higher than usual for a host nation they say.

Defending World Trophy and Women’s World Trophy teams from Great Britain top the actual entry lists but they will field different line-ups to last year with key riders Steve Holcombe and Brad Freeman not riding due to their Beta Racing teams decision.

Read more about that in our interview with the Beta Factory racing team manager: 5 minutes… Beta Racing Team Manager Fabrizio Dini talks ISDE, Brad’s injuries and rider conflict

France has a strong World and Junior team, based on EnduroGP form guide this year, but in South American conditions you’d have to call the USA senior squad favourites. Their team – Taylor Robert, Johnny Girroir, Dante Oliveira and Cole Martinez – are largely racers from the West Coast US off-road series’ and promise to be well matched to the San Juan terrain.

TM Racing not attending again is the root of Italy’s different-looking squad having ruled out thei rfactory riders which includes outright winner in Chile ’18, Daniel Milner. No official entries from Oz means 2022 E2 World Enduro Wil Ruprecht will also miss out on representing his country yet again, despite other factory Sherco riders being present. And that’s not to mention the Aussie Women’s Trophy team, the most succesul of all time, not running.  

Enduro21 had been wondering how leading teams would pan out with a number not fielding their strongest squads including Italy, GB and potentially Spain. The paddock, and certainly the opening ceremony, will not be the same without the rowdy Green and Gold gang.

Headquarters for this year’s ISDE is at the Circuito San Juan Villicum in the northern city of San Juan, to the east of the Andes Mountain range.

ISDE 2023 dates in case you don’t have them are November 6-11.

Photo Credit: Dario Agrati + Future7Media